Attachment for piano-action flanges.



No. 805,208. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. U. L. KALLSTROM. ATTACHMENT FORPIANO ACTION FLANGES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1905.

15 i Fig. 1 2 12 CHARLES L. KALLSTROM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ATTACHMENT FOR PIANO-ACTION FLANGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed June 17,1905. Serial No. 265.660.

T0 at whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. KALL- STROM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAttachments for Piano-Action Flanges, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in piano-actions, and hasespecial relation to means for connecting the wooden flanges to the mainrails of the actions; and it consists in certain peculiarities of theconstruction, novel arrangement, and operation of the various partsthereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specificallyclaimed.

As is well known, certain parts of pianoactions are hinged or pivotallysecured to wooden flanges, which are fastened to the main rails by meansof screws, and a damp atmosphere will cause these wooden flanges toswell or expand, which operation crushes the fiber of the wood under theheads of the screws, and that a dry atmosphere will extract the moisturefrom the fl.nges, thus causing them to shrink or contract, so as tobecome loose or to rattle on the rails, thereby causing great annoyancewhen the piano is used. It is also a well-known fact to those skilled inthe art that in order to stop or prevent the rattling of the flangesupon the main rail each screw must be separately and carefully tightenedor adjusted by an experienced person, usually a professional pianotuner.After being so tightened similar atmospheric conditions as those abovenamed will again produce like results in the actions and further outlayfor repairs.

It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide meansfor overcoming the above-named objections and imperfections under allatmospheric conditions by furnishing means to compensate for thecontraction and expansion or shrinkage and swelling of the woodenflanges and rail by producing a constant yielding or spring pressurebetween the flanges and rail which will hold the flanges firmly againstthe heads of the screws, thereby preventing rattling after they havebecome shrunken by atmospheric influences.

Another object of the invention is to furnish compensating springs forthe series of flanges which shall be so constructed that they may bequickly and properly inserted in place for action on the flanges oreasily removed.

Other objects and advantages of the inven tion will be disclosed in thesubjoined de scription and explanation.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an enlargedview in elevation of a portion of the main rail of a piano-action,showing a series of flanges secured thereon and embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section and partly in elevation, takenon line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through a portion of the main rail, butshowing one of the flanges in elevation mounted thereon. Fig. 4 is afragmental plan View of the main rail and its flanges, showing amodification in the construction of the compensating spring. 5 is across-sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4 looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows. Fig. 6 is a detached perspective viewof the spring used in said modified form. Fig. 7 is a plan view of aportion of the main rail and its flanges, showing another modificationin the construction of the compensating springs; and Fig. 8 is across-sectional view thereof.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawings.

As the invention relates particularly to the means for connecting theflanges to the main rail of a piano-action, I have shown such parts ofthe action only as will be necessary to a thorough understanding of theinvention.

The reference-numeral 1O designates the main rail of a piano-action,which may be made of any suitable size and material, but preferably ofwood and of the ordinary construction, except that it is formed near oneof its edges and in one of its side surfaces with a longitudinal slot 11 to receive the compensating springs. Located on the surface of therail 10, in which the slot 11 is formed, and extending in paralellismwith said slot is a rib 12, which is provided with a series of openings13 to receive the inner ends of screws 14, which pass through suitableopenings in the flanges 15 and are employed for securing said flanges tothe main rail. As shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 8 of the drawings, the rib 12is bev eled at its edges to fit in a flaring recess 16, formed in theinner surface of each of the flanges.

Located in the 'longitudinally-extending slot 11 are a series ofcompensating springs 17 and 18, which are formed of one continu ouspiece of steel wire, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Thispiece of wire is bent to form the springs 17 and 18, which aresubstantially elliptical in shape and are projected in oppositedirections, as shown, the slot 11 being sufliciently deep to encompassthe greater portion of each of said springs, yet it will be understoodthat the springs 18, which impinge the surfaces of the flanges 15adjacent to the main rail, will project slightly beyond the open edgesof the slot. By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen andunderstood that the springs 17 and 18 are located in alinement with oneanother and that the ends 19 of the loops comprising the springs 17 willbe spaced apart at a point directly opposite the inn er ends of thescrews 14:, while the ends 20 of the loops comprising the springs 18will be spaced apart at a point to register with the spaces between theflanges, thus presenting elongated portions of said springs to restagainst the inner wall of the slot 11 and the inner surfaces of theflanges.

In Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, I have shown a modification in theconstruction of the main rail as well as in that of the compensatingsprings, which I may sometimes employ instead of the construction abovedescribed and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, of the drawings.In this modified construction the slot 11 is omitted from the main rail10, and a strip 21, of any suitable resilient material, is securedlongitudinally by means of screws 22 or otherwise to the upper edge ofthe main rail. This strip is provided with a series of transverse slots23, which extend inwardly from the edge of the piece 21 adjacent to theflanges, and thus provide on said portion of said. strip a series ofsprings 24, which are connected together, yet are deflected and overlapthat portion of the main rail adjacent to the flanges, so as to impingethe inner surfaces of the latter. ence to Fig. 4 of the drawings it willbe seen that the slots 23, which divide the springs 2 1, will registerwith the spaces between the flanges 15 and that the springs 24 willextend crosswise and against the inner surface of said flanges.

In Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings I have illustrated another modificationin the con struction of the device, which consists in forming the mainrail 10 with a series of openings 25, which are located in the surfaceof By refer- 1 said rail adjacent to the flanges 15 and usually in alongitudinal line or row above the rib 12 thereon. In each. of theseopenings is located one end of a spiral spring 26, the other end ofwhich rests in an opening 27, formed in the inner surface of each of theflanges.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be readilyunderstood and clearly seen that by using either of the constructionsillustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, or 4 to 6, inclusive, anindependently-acting spring will be provided for each of the flanges,yet said springs will be united. together, so that they may be quicklyand readily secured in place on the main rail or easily removedtherefrom, and that when the flanges have been properly fastened to themain rail by means of the screws 14 the springs will compensate for theshrinkage and swelling of the wooden flanges and rail caused by varyingatmospheric conditions. hen the construction illustrated in Figs. 7 andS is employed, it is apparent that the same function will be performed,but that more time and labor will be required in placing the springs inposition than in the other construction, for the reason the spiralsprings are separated one from another and must necessarily be placed inposition one at a time.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a piano-action, the combination with the main rail, of a series offlanges secured thereto, and a series of independently-acting springsconnected together but spaced apart and interposed between the rail andsaid flanges, substantially as described.

2. In a piano-action, the combination with the main rail, of a series offlanges secured thereto, and a series of substantially elliptical andalternately-oppositely disposed springs connected together and locatedlongitudinally on the rail and in contact therewith as well as with saidflangcs, substantially as described.

3. In a piano-action, the combination with the main rail having in itsside surface a longitudinal slot, of a series of flanges secured to saidrail, and a series of substantially elliptical springs connectedtogether but spaced apart and located in said. slot, said springs beingalternately extended in opposite directions, those projected in. onedirection being in contact with the rail and those project ed in theother direction being in contact with-the flanges, substantially asdescribed.

CHARLES L. KALLS TROM.

IVitnesses CHAS. C. TILLMAN, M. A. NYMAN.

